


Drowning out the Thunder

by Usagisama68



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Legend (Linked Universe) Needs a Hug, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), They can have some fluff as well, as a treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 01:01:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29251872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Usagisama68/pseuds/Usagisama68
Summary: Storms, it seemed, were the same no matter which world they were in. The same sounds, smells and sights that made his blood freeze and his thoughts dissolve into an unending spiral.His knuckles were white from his grip on the blanket, but he couldn’t bring himself to let go. It was a meager protection; pathetic, really, and would do nothing against the memories that blazed behind closed eyelids."Legend?"(Written for a write-off event on the LU discord with the prompt: "Listen, you can't tell any of the others. I'm serious, you can't.")
Relationships: Legend & Wind (Linked Universe)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 107
Collections: Linked Universe Write-offs!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was originally written in an hour as part of a write-off event of the LU Dicord, but I loved it so much that I edited and expanded it into a proper oneshot.
> 
> The unedited original version has been posted as Chapter 2 for anyone who is curious.

The wind howled a cacophony around them, mixing with thunderous booms and frightening crashes as tarped walls shook and trembled. Blinding flashes drowned dim lamplight, giving all occupants a clear view of the chaos raging outside. Trees bent and bowed and creatures scurried for desperate shelter as harsh raindrops churned the ground below.

It was as if the world itself was being drowned by the weight of the storm. 

Legend clenched his teeth so hard they ached, trembling despite the fire that burnt not far away. The stable itself was fairly warm, but a deep chill had settled into his bones, sending small shivers through his form as the gale outside intensified. 

Storms, it seemed, were the same no matter which world they were in. The same sounds, smells and sights that made his blood freeze and his thoughts dissolve into an unending spiral.

His knuckles were white from his grip on the blanket around his shoulders, but he couldn’t bring himself to let go. It was a meager protection; pathetic, really, and would do nothing against the memories that blazed behind his closed eyelids. 

Still, it gave him something to hold onto, to ground himself. He released the breath he hadn’t realised he was holding, shaky and hesitant, willing himself to calm down. He was the Hero of Legend, the Veteran, the-

He flinched and exhaled sharply at the next flash of lightning. Casting his senses out, Legend swore he could hear the faint sounds of snoring from across the room. Sky, probably, and Time as well. Those two could sleep through anything, but he wasn’t so delusional as to think the others were the same. He had to keep quiet.

It was just lucky the storm didn’t start getting horrible until they had all gone to bed; he didn’t think he could hide his cowardice from them otherwise.

He had dealt with worse before and he could do it again. 

“Legend?”

The hand on his shoulder burnt. 

He jumped and scrambled backwards, blanket tightening around him as he looked up to meet concerned blue eyes. It took longer than he would ever admit to recognise Wind through the dim lighting. He took a deep breath and forced himself to relax, determined not to show their youngest companion this side of himself.

“Brat, what do you want? It’s-” another clap of thunder cut him off as all the muscles in his body tensed. Hylia dammit. “It’s well past midnight.” 

He sat up properly, movements stiff and shaky, before flashing what he hoped was a confident smile. It wasn’t lost on either of them that he had yet to release the blanket, but the mere thought of losing that layer of protection, however flimsy and imaginary, set his heart racing.

Of course the kid wasn’t convinced.

Firelight illuminated half his face, setting hair aflame and highlighting pinched brows. It was easy to forget, sometimes, that Wind was second in experience only to himself. He looked it now; wise beyond his years, as if he was searching Legend’s own soul with his piercing gaze. 

Legend couldn’t keep eye contact for long, instead turning to survey the rest of the room. The bed next to his was glaringly empty, but none of the others had gotten up or shown that they had heard anything over the noise outside. Small mercies.

“...can I sit down?” Wind’s voice was hesitant and unsure. It was an out. If Legend said no, he was certain Wind would leave him alone. But-

Another roar of thunder shook the building.

-he could really use the distraction, and Wind had already seen him anyway. His mouth felt like it was full of sand, muffling and choking any words he tried to say, so instead he shifted against the bedpost to make more room. 

They stayed like that in silence for a few minutes. Wind could certainly feel every tensing of his muscles, every flinch and sharp intake of breath. His shaking hadn’t stopped, and with each horrible crash outside it only seemed to get worse.

“I-” he could feel Wind shift nervously beside him, but Legend kept his gaze focussed on the far wall as the kid continued. “Listen, you can’t tell any of the others. I’m serious, you can’t. Especially not Sky.”

That got his attention. Fear gave way to curiosity and he relaxed his grip on the blanket to stare at the kid. Wind had drawn his knees to his chest and was biting his lip, as if psyching himself up for something. 

“I’m scared of birds!” 

Legend blinked a few times at the outburst. Wind flushed and clapped his hands over his mouth, clearly as surprised as he was by the sudden admission. They both glanced to the side, but it didn’t seem like the others had heard.

Wind breathed a sigh of relief and sent him a sheepish look.

“Wind, what-” Another crash. Another flinch. Another minute before his heart had calmed enough for him to force the words out. “What are you talking about?” 

“...do you remember when the portal dropped us off at Skyloft?” 

“Of course.” The sight of the land thousands of metres below would be a view, and a scare, he would never forget. Though Wind had been sick for most of their time there.

Wait.

“Was that why you refused to come out of the house?” 

It was said with disbelief rather than accusation, but that didn’t stop the kid curling in on himself. 

“I couldn’t stand to be outside with all of them . The loftwings they…” Wind gave a deep breath and clenched his fists. “They remind me too much of a monster from my first adventure. The one that stole my sister.” 

He didn’t elaborate anymore, and he didn’t need to. Legend recognised the anguish and shame marring that face all too well. 

Things feel different in the middle of adventures. You don’t have time to hesitate or process what you’ve seen and felt; desperation and adrenaline can dull even the harshest of emotions. 

But afterwards, when there are no more battles to win or dungeons to crawl, in the quiet nights of peace, there’s no barrier. Even if you survived an experience or defeated a monster, you can never forget the terror you felt. The pain and the tears. The hopelessness. 

Beating something doesn’t make it less scary. Any reminders...

The trembling of his hands, the painful beating of his heart, his scrambled thoughts and desperate gasps at the first hint of thunder. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t out at sea. It didn’t matter if he was in a warm stable surrounded by friends. Those terrifying memories always catch up.

“Why are you telling me this?” He whispered, not even trying to hide the shakiness to his voice, and this time the hand on his shoulder didn’t burn. It was firm and familiar. Something he could focus on and ground himself.

“...I don’t know. I didn’t have a plan before coming over here.” Wind shrugged sheepishly, and Legend huffed out a laugh despite himself. “But I think we all get used to being alone on our adventures. To deal with everything ourselves and not rely on others. Tetra spent a lot of time knocking that out of me.” 

Legend remembered the assertive spitfire of a captain they met in Wind’s world and smiled. The poor kid stood no chance. 

“But that’s not true. I wanted you to know that you’re not alone. You can rely on us if things get scary or difficult. We’re not going to judge you for being affected by your adventures. We all have scars. Hylia, you have more reason to have them than any of us. Even invisible ones. You don’t need to-” Wind gestured vaguely in his direction, “-be suffering in silence. Even if I can’t do anything other than sit here and be a distraction. 

Legend stared at him for a few long seconds, looking for any trace of mockery or pity. But there was none. Only the concerned and gentle gaze of a face far too young to be this wise. 

Another flash of lightning lit up the stable and he flinched again, breathing deeply through his nose as his eyes snapped shut. The hand of his shoulder squeezed, gentle and comforting, and he focussed on that as his heart began to slow again. 

“This is stupid.” Legend bit out, but the tremble in his words ruined the effect. “Storms are stupid.”

“Birds are stupid.” 

“Brat.” He griped. Then, before he could second guess himself, he pulled open one side of his blanket and held it out. Wind’s eyes widened as his gaze moved uncertainly between Legend’s face and the blanket. “Well kid, what are you waiting for? It’s cold.”

That was all the invitation he needed. Wind grinned and burrowed into his side, arms circling around Legend’s waist and head resting snugly on his shoulder. The blanket was barely large enough to cover them both, but as he wrapped it around Wind’s shoulders and pulled the kid closer, he found that he didn’t mind. 

After a few minutes Wind began to speak. Nothing substantial, just little stories and ramblings about his childhood. Even so, Legend clung to those words like a lifeline, never faltering no matter how much he flinched and shook.

Constant. Grounding.

The storm still raged on outside, but somehow it felt a little further away. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please consider leaving a comment if you liked it!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The unedited original version of this fic that was written in an hour for the write-off!

**BOOM. CRASH.**

The wind howled a cacophony around them, mixing with thunderous booms and frightening crashes as if the sky itself was falling down. Sudden flashes illuminated the occupants of the stable, the open doorway giving them a clear view of the chaos outside. 

Legend clenched his teeth until they ached, trembling desite the fire blazing across the room. It was as if a deep chill had settled into his bones, sending small shivers through his form as the gale outside intensified. He curled into his blanket as a sudden boom made him flinch.

Storms, it seemed, were the same no matter which world they were in. The same sounds, smells and sights that made his blood freeze and send his thoughts into an unending spiral. His knuckles were white from his grip on the blanket, but he couldn’t bring himself to let it go. It was a meager protection; pathetic, really, and would do nothing against the memories that blazed behind his closed eyelids. 

Still, it gave him something to grip onto, to ground himself. He slowly and shakily released the breath he did not realise he was holding, willing himself to calm down. He was the Hero of Legend, the Veteran, the-

He flinched and exhaled sharply at the next flash of lightning, heart beating a painful chorus in his chest. As long as he was quiet, it was fine. He had dealt with this before, and he could do it again. 

“Legend?” The hand that gripped his shoulder burnt, sending a shockwave though his body as he scrambled to get up. His eyes adjusted to the dim lighting and met concerned blue. It took him an embarrassingly long to recognise Wind, his usually youthful face unusually serious as they stared at each other.

He sat up properly, movements stiff and shaky, and flashed what he hoped was a confident smile at the kid. It felt weak even to himself. From the pinch of his brows and deepening frown, it didn’t seem like Wind was convinced either. 

“Brat, what do you want? It’s-” another clap of thunder outside cut him off as all the muscles in body tensed. Hylia damnit, at least he didn’t flinch time this. “It’s well past midnight.” 

He shot the sailor with a smile, but it felt shaky and strained even to him. It wasn’t lost on either of them that he had yet to release the blanket, but the mere thought of losing that layer of protection, however flimsy and imaginary it was, set his heart racing.

Of course the kid wasn’t convinced. The flickering of the flames illuminated half his face, setting his hair aflame and highlighting his pinched brows and frown. It was easy to forget, sometimes, that Wind was second in experience only to him. He looked it now; wise beyond his years, as if he was searching Legend’s own soul with his piercing gaze. 

In the state he was now, Legend couldn’t keep eye contact and shifted his gaze to the rest of the room. The bed next to his, Wind’s, was empty, but none of the others had gotten up or even indicated they had heard anything over the noise outside. Small mercys. 

“...can I sit down?” Wind’s voice was hesitant and unsure. It was an out. If Legend said no, he was certain Wind would leave him alone. But-

**CRASH.**

-he could really use the distraction, and Wind had already seen him anyway. His mouth felt like it was full of sand, muffling and choking any words he tried to say, so instead he shifted against the bedpost to make more room. 

They stayed like that in silence for a few minutes. Wind could certainly feel every tensing of his muscles, every flinch and sharp inhale of breath. His shaking hadn’t stopped, and with each horrible crash outside it only seemed to get worse. 

“I…” Wind spoke, sounding uncertain and hesitant. “Listen, you can’t tell any of the others. I’m serious, you can’t. But..” 

Fear gave way to curiosity as Legend finally turned his gaze to the kid. He had drawn his knees to his chest, eyes nervous as he seemed to be psyching himself up for something.

“I’m scared of birds!” He blurted out, before flushing and clapping his hands to his mouth. They both glanced to the side, but it didn’t seem like any of the others had heard through the rain. 

Wind released a breath and sent a sheepish look his way. 

“Wind, what-” Another crash. Another flinch. Another minute before his heart calmed enough that he could force the words out. “What are you talking about?” 

“...do you remember when the portal dropped us off at Skyloft?” 

How could he forget? The sight of the land thousands of metres below would be a sight, and a scare, he would never forget. Though Wind had been sick for most of it-

Wait.

“Was that why you refused to come out of the house?” 

It was said with disbelief rather than accusation, but that didn’t stop the kid curling on himself more in what seemed to be shame. 

“I couldn’t stand to be outside with all of _them_. The loftwings they…” he clenched his fists. “They remind me too much of a monster from my first adventure. The one that stole my sister.” 

Wind didn’t elaborate anymore, and he didn’t need to. The anguish and shame in his expression said it all. He recognised it all too well. 

Things feel different, on adventures and quests. You don’t have the time to hesitate, to come to terms with what you’ve seen and feel true fear. Adrenaline and desperation can dull even the harshest of emotions.

But afterwards, in the quiet nights of peace, there’s no barrier there. Even if you survived an experience or defeated a monster, you can never forget the fear you felt. Beating something doesn’t make it less scary. And any reminders of that…

The trembling of his hands, the painful beating of his heart, his muddled thoughts and desperate breaths at the first hint of thunder. Even if he wasn’t out at sea. Even if he was with friends warm in a stable. You can’t forget it.

“Why are you telling me this?” He asked, and this time the hand on his shoulder didn’t burn. It was firm, and comforting, and something he could focus on the ground himself. 

“Honestly, I don’t really know. I didn’t really think anything through before I came to you.” Wind shrugged, and Legend huffed out a laugh despite himself. “But it’s not nice, being alone. I think we all get used to it, on our adventures. Tetra spent a lot of time knocking that out of me. I kind of wanted you to know that you don’t have to be. You can rely on us if things are scary or difficult. You don’t need to-”

Wind gestured vaguely in his direction.

“-be suffering in silence. Even if I can’t do anything other than sit here and be a distraction, I think it’s better than being alone. I’m not going to judge you for being affected by your adventures. Hylia, you have more of a reason to have scars than any of us. Even invisible ones.” 

Legend stared at him for a few long seconds, looking for any trace of mockery or pity. But there was none. Only a concerned and gentle gaze of a face far too young to be this wise. 

“Brat.” He griped. Before he could second guess himself, he pulled open one side of his blanket and held it out. “Well kid, what are you waiting for?”

Wind grinned and burrowed into his side. Somehow, the storm seemed a little further away. 


End file.
